The Beard Stays
by Dr.broadway.bound
Summary: Dead people are supposed to stay dead. Not appear eight years later like nothing happened, sporting ratty clothes and a killer beard.
1. Chapter 1

*BOOM*

"Dammit! Where's Earphone Jack?!"

The Pro-Hero Creati is in the process of fighting a villain with the ability to take over another persons body. Currently, they had taken over the No. 4 Hero Ground Zero, and were using his quirk to cause mayhem.

"**We're on our way Creati. At the moment I'm with FrostFlame, Anima, and Jammingway"**

Creati barely had enough time to react to the villains attacks when suddenly, out of nowhere, black tendrils shoot out from an alleyway. Before anybody could tell what was going on, a homeless looking, bearded man shot out from the alley covered in florescent green lightning with a manic look in his eye.

"Sir! What are yo-"

_Wait. I know that face. Green hair, green eyes, four diamond shaped freckles on each cheek…_

_No! He's supposed to be dead!_

It was quiet, a whisper so quiet that nobody was meant to hear it. But she did.

"smash"

The following shockwave could be felt from ten blocks down the street, as black tendrils held the villain in place as a homeless man punched Ground Zero in the face. The green lighting surrounding the man arched throughout Ground Zero and in an instant the body of the hijacking villain was forced out, unconscious.

People cheered as police on the scene moved in with quirk restraining hand cuffs, and as quickly as the bearded man appeared, he was gone.

Crowds of journalists were almost sprinting towards Creati so that they could be the first to get a new scoop, but something about her was off.

Creati, or as her friends knew her Momo Yaoyorozu, stood blankly. She answered questions with eh bare minimum, and had a look about her that she was searching for something, or someone.

The scene was empty in under ten minutes, but Creati remained alone, having called off the reinforcements. She had claimed to the media that the villain was apprehended by an underground hero too fast for the naked eye. But that was just a lie.

No, the truth seemed much more disturbing. A truth which left her staring at the man she had yet to break eye contact with since the end of the whole ordeal. He stood in an alley opposite the one he popped out of.

The man just stood and watched. He did not make any moves to leave, and certainly didn't move to come any closer. That meant an approach was up to her.

She believed that she would feel a sense of foreboding as she walked towards the alley, and to her surprise, she didn't. The closer she got to the man, the clearer his features became, but his face was kept shrouded in shadows.

She had to think fast. She had approached someone she knew nothing of, other thsan he reminded her of a dead classmate. It's not like she could just open with that… so she decided on being polite.

"Thank you. Not many people would do something like that…"

He stayed silent. For a minute he did nothing but stare, and she felt very uncomfortable under his scrutinizing stare.

"Can I at least get a name; I would like to thank you properly mr…"

Again, she was met with more silence.

"Izuku…"

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. This was a voice she hasn't heard in over eight years. A voice that used to be filled with great exuberance and energy, a voice with power she admired… and envied. She needed to confirm her suspicions, even if the result broke her heart…

"Can you step into the light? Maybe I can help you."

He shuffled for a moment, as if he were weighing his options. Then he stepped into the light.

Now that she could see him completely, she could finally ease her mind. Looking him over she found dirty and ratted clothing, an untamable mass of hair on both his head, and jawline, four identically placed freckles on each cheek, and his eyes. Innocent, unmistakable eyes that nobody would ever be able to forget. It caused her to tear up.

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

As she started to become emotional, he acted. Grabbing her by the shoulder to keep her steady, and lifting her face so he could look into her eyes, he felt something. He KNEW this person. Or, at least he had KNOWN this person before.

Yaoyorozu quickly composed herself, almost pushing the man away, but holding his hand as if to not let him leave.

"Do you have anywhere to stay tonight, Izuku?"

She really hoped he wouldn't answer with what she knew was coming.

"Of course, the park is a great place to stay. Especially during the summer."

He didn't see anything wrong with how he lived, to be completely transparent, it was the only way he remembered living. No name, no home, drifting between parks, and helping people when he needed to.

"Would you like to stay with me for a little while?"

She didn't know why she was offering him a place to stay. He didn't know her, and she couldn't prove who he was. He looked down at the ground and around them, finally resting his gaze on her with a placate smile and said:

"Okay."

Walking into Yaoyorozu's home, as she had asked him to call her, Izuku was unsure how to feel. He knew there was a connection between them, but he didn't understand what it was. He had met many people throughout his time helping people, but none of them had ever offered him a place to sleep, so he thought it was normal to sleep outside. He saw plenty of other men and women doing it as well.

It was a nice place, lots of space. She said it was a penthouse next to her parents business. He thought she sounded nervous when she spoke about it, so maybe that was bad.

"Izuku, I have a spare bedroom for you to use, and a bathroom attached that you are free to use. I will ask the staff to bring you some clothes to replace the ones you have."

"This place is amazing Yaoyorozu…"

The response she received made her blush.

Later that night after Izuku had spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to use the shower (there should not be THAT many knobs), he found clothing set out for him to wear.

Ever since she had run into Izuku for the first time in years, he had done nothing short of surprise her. Everything she thought he would do, he did almost the exact opposite. She didn't understand why she extended an invitation to stay in her home to him instead of taking him to the authorities… HE HAS BEEN DEAD FOR EIGHT YEARS FR CRYING OUT LOUD!

After seeing him go to take his shower, she called for clothing to be delivered along with food for them both. Both of which arrived within half an hour, soon to be followed by Izuku himself in the new clothing and SWEET JESUS did he look GOOD!

The clothes she had delivered were plain, just a grey, long sleeved shirts with white jeans nothing spectacular. Her mind had immediately gone to his face. Even with a beard she could tell that he had lost all his baby fat, and there was a certain level of maturity in his eyes that she had yet to see anywhere else.

"_Ahem_, Izuku are you hungry? While you were showering I had some food delivered."

She had thought he would look thankful, or even happy. But again to her surprise he became nervous.

"You didn't have to do that Yaoyorozu…. I'm not that hung-"

He didn't eve finish his sentence before his stomach betrayed him. Which made her giggle.

"Its okay, c'mon lets get some food in you."

Te last time he had eaten had been a few days prior, so needless to say he scarfed down everything put in front of him like no tomorrow. This only served to continue making Yaoyorozu giggle. At least until she realized that they needed to truly talk.

"Izuku, do you have a last name?" she asked.

"I don't know," began Izuku between mouthfuls of food, "All I remember was wakingup on the street around five years ago with a really bad headache… ever since I have done everything I can to help all the people I come across."

"Oh, well… I think I may know who you are, or at least who you may be…"

Hearing this Izuku paused his eating, as if he were waiting for her to continue before he could eat more.

"Your name is Izuku, and you share a shocking resemblance to a very old classmate of mine. You have his hair, his eyes, and his voice. Also from hat you just told me, you have his heart as well…"

Unsure of how to continue their conversation, she pulled up a picture on her phone. A missing persons poster from eight years ago, with a young Izuku Midoriya's information on it.

"Izuku, how are you alive?"


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean?"

To say that she was taken aback by this question would be an understatement, a severe one at that. Before she went on to explain, she collected herself.

"Izuku, eight years ago you disappeared. We were in hero training when All Might came barreling in incoherently babbling about something to do with your mother. As soon as you heard that you were gone. We spent weeks looking for you, both classes, including Monoma, and the teachers put everything aside to find you. We never did… and ever since then Eri Hasn't been the same."

Izuku had long since stopped eating at this point. His curiosity getting the best of him.

"Who is Eri?"

Momo was flabbergasted! How could he have forgotten about one of, if not, his most heroic moments? Reaching across the table and grasping his hand tightly, as if it were the only thing connecting her to the boy she once knew that now sat in front of her a VERY changed man.

"Eri is a little girl. You saved her from a life of torture at the hands of the Eight Precepts of Death. After saving her, she stuck to you and never let go, you were basically her unofficial father. The day you disappeared, Eraserhead was watching her while we trained. When she found out you were gone, it forced him to basically use his quirk 24/7 to keep her from harming people. When you were pronounced dead, she stopped smiling for good. She goes to U.A. now to honor your memory. She wanted to be just like her 'Dad'."

The entire time she was speaking, Izuku was lost in thought. The added information only serving to confuse him more and more. Everything he had known was wrong. He wasn't alone! He had a family, people who loved him!

"Can I meet them?"

"Who?"

"Eri, my mom… I didn't know I have a family…"

Momo knew this would hurt. She didn't want to do it, but it needed to be done.

"Your mother is dead Izuku. All Might came because she was hurt in a breaking and entering at your home, and she was in the hospital. And Eri… she may not be very happy to see you…"

This silenced him. He sat for a few moments trying to come up with the words to say. With anything to say. And when he spoke there was a very strong determination within.

"You said I was like a father to her… I may have been gone for eight years, and I may not remember her at all… but I'm here now, and all I know is that I need to protect those close to me. If she was close to me at one point, I will protect her. Even if she doesn't like it."

His words brought strong feelings of hope, inspiration, respect, and oddly… attraction? _Stop it! Stupid brain…_

"I…. suppose I can take you to meet her," she began," But first you need to get cleaned up. And by that I mean a haircut, you need to look presentable. We also need to make sure everyone knows that you're alive. We also need to make sure that there is nothing wrong with you, because you can't seem to remember anything from before you disappeared."

On the outside, she looked composed and in control. On the inside however, she was freaking the fuck out. It was now hitting her that she let a stranger into her home on nothing but a hunch, which in turn came to be true, and that she was staring at someone that was thought dead for the better half of a decade. There was no way this would just blow over smoothly in any way shape or form.

"All that can be done tomorrow, and over the next week, however. For now, we need to rest."

After taking care of the leftover food and dishes from the meal, Izuku and Momo went their separate ways. Momo to her room, and Izuku to his temporary one. 

The next day Momo had more clothing, as well as shoes, ready for him to join her in getting him ready for the world he was about to re-enter. Their day started at a Barber shop, where Izuku was to get a haircut. When looking through books, Izuku settled on an undercut look that left his unruly, curly hair to flourish on the top of his head while having his sides saved to the skin. This allowed Momo to see scars under the layers of hair that made it impossible to see beforehand.

Everything was going great until the Barber picked up the clippers, and turned them towards his beard. Before anybody was ready for it, Izuku's hand shot out, grabbed the barber's wrist forcing him to drop the clippers, and said in the most feral and terrifying way possible:

"The beard **STAYS**."

Needless to say, nobody argued with him. So after paying for the service, him and Momo left the store.

Not knowing where else they should go, Momo led him to U.A. Although they were not there to see Eri, since it was the weekend class was not in session, so they walked passed the dorms, and straight to the infirmary. Momo knew this would lead to a major headache on her behalf, but Recovery Girl was the only medical personnel that Momo actually knew. 

"Stupid girl!"

Chiyo, AKA Recovery Girl, was beating Momo on the head with her Cain while Izuku was in the hall.

"You find someone who has been dead for almost a decade, and the first thing you do is give him a HAIRCUT?!"

Momo deserved this, and she knew it. There was no excuse for her not bringing Izuku straight to Chiyo in the first place. So she took her punishment, while Chiyo continued to rant about how a hero as smart as her should have known better. It only made it worse when Izuku decided he wanted to know what all the noise was about.

"Excuse me, but whats going on?"

"She is being punished for her stupidity," began Chiyo before she grabbed Izuku by the ear, dragging him into the room before knocking him with the Cain as well, "And that is what you get for dying eight years ago!"

About thirty minutes of chastising later, Chiyo finally began to run every test she could think of on Izuku. MRI, CET, CAT scan, drug tests, a physical, etc. By the end of it they had spent nearly three hours just doing tests on him.

"Other than numerous scars that you hadn't had before, and the memory loss, you are in perfectly good health, albeit a little malnourished. I want to get a couple people with mental quirks to examine your brain and psyche for anything that our technology couldn't pick up… so I guess you are good to go for now. I will contact Ms. Yaoyorozu when I need to contact you again."

Momo wasn't sure what to do now with Izuku. They had physical proof it was him, all the tests show it, and she had planned on letting him stay with her for now… but she didn't know what they were supposed to do at this point. You can't just open a group chat and say, 'Hey everyone! Hope your having a good day, I just wanted to tell you that one of our friends we long thought dead is now alive! Okay, bye now', life doesn't work like that.

"Chiyo, before we leave, can you help us. We don- I don't know what to do, or how to do it…"

Recovery Girl took on a look of understanding, knowing the younger hero needed guidance more than anything right now.

"Tomorrow, come back here so we can have a meeting with Nezu. He can probably get a press conference running for you and our fallen hero here. Until then, he needs to reconnect with everyone, your friends deserve to know he is here."

Nodding in comprehension, Momo felt reinsured. Tomorrow they would meet with Nezu. Looking at her phone for the time, she spawned another question:

"Do you know if Curfew is still the same as it was when I was here?"

"It should be, why?"

"Izuku wants to see Eri… I told him about her. He feels responsible for her and wants to care for her." 

**AN: While writing this story, I will most likely be releasing a lot of filler chapters that have no affect on the overall arches. Such chapters will include reconnecting wit the different characters, and this will most likely end up looking more like a crack fic with the ideas I have in my head. Before you all say it, I know my writing is weird, I am sed to writing scripts instead, but I know those can be a jarring read so I am having a hard time trying to frame this is a way that is coherent. **


	3. Chapter 3

Izuku was being led by Momo towards apartment-esque buildings. At this point he was basically following her around like a puppy, to be frank he just didn't have anywhere else to be. When he had asked about their next destination the only explanation he was given was that he was going to be meeting someone from his past.

"Izuku," began Momo as they approached the building labelled 1-B, "before we head inside, I need to warn you. This is where Eri lives."

Hearing that, he immediately became fidgety. He trussed his hair, straightened his shirt, and di pretty much anything to make himself more presentable. He only stopped when he heard Momo lightly giggling.

"What?" He was just trying to make a good impression…

"It's nothing…" she assured as she stifled her laughter.

After silently giving her a tiny glare, he finished messing with himself and got ready to face his past. Following Momo through the sliding doors, he looked around in awe. This place was bigger than Momo's home, and it was just for students?!

Speaking of students, there were about ten of which in the foyer/lounge area. All of which turned to see who came in. Which in turn caused all of them to basically start freaking out.

"YO! Guys come check it out, Creati is here!" shouted one of the awestruck students.

Almost immediately nine other students came rushing in the room, two of which must have been outside working out since they were drenched in sweat, Rocky Balboa style. If Momo hadn't been used to the press, she was certain all the teens around her would have made her nervous. But there was no time for that, she had a mission.

"Yes, yes, I know you are all excited, but I need some help. Can one of you tell us where we can find Aizawa-san?"

Everyone seemed to start conversing amongst themselves about the matter when one of the students in the back decided to speak up.

"What would you want with that depressing sack of melted snow?"

Now after having three years of classes with Bakugou, she thought she had heard it all. So either this kid wasn't that creative, or she was getting older than she would like to admit… Nevertheless, she needed to remind this child of his manners.

"Well," she started with a glimmer of disappointment in her eyes, "if you really need to know, her father and aunt are here to see her."

After this admission, all the students silenced themselves immediately. So much so that you could hear a pin drop. The only thing they could do was stare at the Pro-Hero in their dorm, claiming to be a classmate's aunt, and the awkwardly quiet stranger that said Pro-Hero claimed to be the same classmate's father. But that couldn't be right because her father was Eraser head, class 1-A's homeroom teacher.

"So, if one of you could please point us in the correct direction, it would be much appreciated." Finished Momo, only to be given a point and a room number in response.

Momo gave a nod of thanks toward the hero-hopeful that pointed her in the right direction, then proceeded to walk away. Leaving Izuku behind completely. He took a moment to just stand there confused on how he was introduced when he realized one of the kids wanted his attention.

"Are you sure your Eri's dad? You two look absolutely nothing alike." Stated the child with a very scrutinizing look in her eye.

This made him freeze. Was he her father. She apparently called him so before he disappeared, and it was how Momo introduced him. Deciding to play it safe he gave the most neutral answer he could before running after Momo into the elevator.

"It's a long story." 

Riding in the elevator, they reached the third floor before stepping out. Izuku followed Momo to the room labeled '305', which apparently housed his 'daughter'. He was still very unsure about how he felt on that matter, other than a very strong feeling of a need to protect her. But before he could dwell on the matter further, he was pushed toward the door by Momo. Who then started nodding towards it telling him to knock.

And knock he did. Once. Twice. Three times before he heard shuffling and a slightly irritated voice.

"Alright, alright I'm coming, what was so important that you had to wake me up from my-"

The thick door opened to reveal a shorter child, one with platinum white hair, red eyes, and an adorable horn. She was wrapped in a forest green sleeping bag, which meant the shuffling was either her scooching across the floor, or her hopping to the door. Her face was beautiful, minus the light tears in her eyes as she downtroddenly finished her question through a sob.

"….nap?"

Momo was standing off to the side, watching the entire scene go down. She watched the tears collect more and more in Eri's eyes as Izuku began to look panicked, thinking he had done something wrong to upset the girl. She watched Izuku get on a knee to be at eye level with a little girl he once saved from a very dark future, even if he doesn't remember it.

Eri stood there silent, her mind must have been playing tricks on her. This had to just be a dream. Yeah, it was only a dream. But still unconvinced she wiped her eyes of the tears and pinched herself. She was definitely awake. Which could only mean one thing.

"Izu-papa?" asked a very hopeful and vulnerable Eri.

All it took was a very slight nod from an Izuku who didn't trust his voice enough for the waterworks to flow, and for her to throw herself into his arms, causing the sleeping bag she was holding to fall to the bottom half of her body as she wrapped as mush of her torso as she could around the first person to ever be kind to her in her life. Her papa made a promise, and it may have take eight years, but he kept that promise all the same.

_'Izu-papa came home!"_


End file.
